Andiron



J. B. DAwsoN March 25 ANDIRON Filed Sept. 2l i921 Patented ilfiar. 25, i924.

fi i' i behlt@ JAMES B. JWSON, 0l? PORTLAND, OREG-0N.

ANDIRON.

Application led September 21, 19M. Serial No. 502,204.

To all 'whom ti may concern.'

Be it known that l, JAMES B. DAWSON, a citizen of the United States, residingat 7Bortland, in the county of Multnomah and State oi Gregori, have invented new and useful lmprovements in ndirons, oi which following is a specification.

rhis invention relates to improvements in the construction of fire-place andirons,4

one object ci the invention being to provide an andiron having means for the flow of air therethrough, whereby the andiron will be automatically cooled and maintained at a safe temperature to prevent warping or other changes under excessive heat. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide an andiron of the construction described which may be used in connection With a hre-place heater, for supplying air, for example, to a drum in which the air is heated and from which it may be discharged through a radiator into the room or apartment in which the tire-place is located.

`ln the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, Y

Figure l is a view in side elevation of my improved andiron.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the andiron.v

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Figure a is a cross-section through the, arm portion.

The andiron constituting my invention may beV made of cast iron or other suitable metal, and may be made as plain or ornamental as desired. is shown, it comprises a vertical post portion l and an arm portion 2 extending horizontally therefrom. ln practice the andironsare employed, as usual, in pairs, one located at each side of the rire-place, and the arms 2 thereof may be employed for directly supporting logs as fuel, or "Sor supporting a grate in which coal or other fuel is burned.

rlhe post portion 1 is provided with a hollow body forming an air entrance chamber 3, whichA has a mouth or entrance at the base of the post. The post base as clearly shown in Figures l and 3, is supported at an elevation above the hearth or other surface i by an annular series of spaced feet 5, or their equivalent, thus disposing the air inlet at a point above the level of the hearth to provide for the free indraft or" air thereto.

The arm portion 2 is hollow and provides an air passageVv 6 extending longitudinally throughout. This passage 6 communicates at its forward end with the chamber 3 at the rear of the post 4l. At its outer or rear end the arm 2 may be ornamentally finished- 0E as by the provision of a ring or annulus 7, which if desired may be constructed to form' a bolting flange for connection with a heating drum or element as hereinafter described. rlhe arm 2 may also be provided with depending portions 8 to rest upon suitable base supports, or thes-e portions may extend downwardly in the form of legs to contact with the hearth for the purpose of securing a supporting action.

In the use of the andiron in its simple form, it will be understood that when the andiron is heated Ifrom the body of burning fuel in the fireplace a draft will be induced in the chamber 3 and passage (i whereby air will be drawn through the inlet or the chamber 3 and caused to flow through the passage 6 and Vdischarge at the open rear end thereof. The flow of air through this passage will be continuous as longias the andiron is in use. As a result the andiron will be kept cool and maintained at a safe low temperature to prevent it from disintegrating or warping under the action of an undue degree of heat. The arm 2 may be circular, square, or of any other suitable form in cross section, but I preferably make it of elliptical form, as such form provides a strong construction and at the same time enables the passage 6 to be made or" maximum area for a given weight of metal in order to secure the most benecial results.

A pair of andirons as thus constructed may also be used in a lire-place and connected at the open rear ends of their arms with a suitable type of heating drum connected with a radiator suitably disposed at the top and front of the fire place. By this means the air supplied through the andiron, in addition to keeping the same cool, will be heated in its travel through the andirons and drum and discharged through the radiator into the room or apartment, thus enabling a greater proportion of the available heat units to be employed for a heating eiiect, While at the same time preserving the pleasing characteristics of an open 're in the room or apartment.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

As a new and improved article of manufacture, an andiron comprising an upright post portion formed of a hollow body and providing an air chamber closed at the top and having an air inlet through the base of said post portion, a hollow horizontal arm portion having a` passage eX tending continuously therethrough and communicating at one end With said air chamber at one side of said post portion,

and an annular seriesof outwardly and downwardly inclined feet projecting from the base of the post portion and arranged to support the same at an elevation above the surface on which the feet rest, said feet being spaced to provide an annular series of passages therebetween for lateral HOW of air from all sides to the Space beneath the post and thence to the bottom inlet of the air chamber in the post portion.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signa- 25 ture.

JAMES B. DAWSON. 

